Door on washing machine

ABSTRACT

Door on a washing machine, in which a seating position of a door glass is guided at the time of placing the door glass on a door frame, for securing the door glass at a right position. The door includes a transparent door window, and a door frame mounted on a top cover of the washing machine, the top cover having a cloth opening, and the door frame having an opening, and a guide for guiding positioning of the transparent door window to cover the opening. If a transparent window is provided to a door on the washing machine, a comparatively great seating recess is required for easy seating of the transparent window. However, the great seating recess is likely to cause difficult in positioning the transparent window at a right position, to cause inconvenience of mounting. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve this problem.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No.P2004-88268 filed on Nov. 2, 2004, which is hereby incorporated byreference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a door on a washing machine, and moreparticularly, to a door on a washing machine, in which a seatingposition of a door glass is guided at the time of placing the door glasson a door frame, for securing the door glass at a right position.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

In general, the washing machine removes contaminants from clothes orbeddings (hereafter called as ‘cloth’) by using action of detergent andwater (hereafter called as ‘washing water’). In the washing machines,there are agitator type, pulsator type, and drum type.

The agitator type washing machine performs washing by rotating a washingpole upright at a central portion in left/right directions, the pulsatortype washing machine performs washing by using friction between watercirculation made by left/right direction rotation of a disk likepulsator on a bottom of an inner tub and the cloth, and the drum typewashing machine performs washing by rotating an inner tub with aplurality of lifts projected from an inside surface, having washingwater, detergent, and cloth introduced thereto.

FIG. 1 illustrates a section of a related art washing machine.

Referring to FIG. 1, the related art washing machine is provided with abase pan 1, a cabinet 2 mounted on the base pan 1 to form an outsidecase of the washing machine, a top cover 10 on the cabinet 2 to form atop portion of the washing machine, having a cloth opening 8 forintroduction of the cloth therethrough, and a door 20 rotatably mountedon the top cover 10 for opening/closing the cloth opening 8.

The top cover 10 has a supply valve 12 mounted thereon with an externalhose 11 connected thereto for receiving water for use in washing orrinsing, and a detergent housing 13 mounted thereon through which thewater from the water supply valve 12 passes.

In the detergent housing 13, a detergent box 14 is placed, where thewater from the water supply valve 12 mixes with the detergent.

In the meantime, at a front edge of the top cover 10, there is a controlunit 15 for controlling the washing machine.

The door 20 has a rear door 22 rotatably connected to the top cover 10,and a front door 24 rotatably connected to the rear door 22, so that therear door 22 and the front door 24 are placed flat on the upper surfaceof the washing machine, or projected upward from the washing machine inan inverted ‘V’ shape.

In the meantime, in the cabinet 2, there is an outer tub 30 suspendedfrom the cabinet 2 or the top cover 10 for holding washing water forwashing or rinsing, and water extracted from the cloth at the time ofspinning.

In the outer tub 30, there is an inner tub 40 rotatably mounted thereonfor holding the cloth, having water holes 38 in a circumferential orbottom surface.

Under the outer tub 30, there is a drain unit 42 for draining washingwater from the outer tub 30 to an outside of the washing machine.

The washing machine may have the pulsator 44 mounted on an inside bottomof the inner tub 40 for circulating the washing water, and a motor 46mounted under the outer tub 30 for direct rotation of the inner tub 40,or may have the pulsator rotatably mounted on the inside bottom of theinner tub 40 for circulating the washing water, and a motor and a powertransmission mechanism, such as a clutch, under the outer tub 30 fortransmission of a driving force from the motor to the pulsator or theinner tub 40.

The door 20 on the related art washing machine has a problem in that itis difficult to determine inside operation state of the washing machinefrom an outside of the washing machine. If it is desired to see theinside operation state, it is required to open the door, when thewashing water splashes from inside of the washing machine, and, if thewashing machine is in operation even after the door is opened, if it isa child, the child can be in danger.

There are cases when operation of the washing machine stops temporarilyin a case the door on the washing machine is opened, when the washingmachine is turned on/off as the door on the washing machine isclosed/opened, to result in a power loss.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a door on a washingmachine that substantially obviates one or more problems due tolimitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a door on a washingmachine, in which a transparent window is mounted on a door on a washingmachine, for determination of an inside state of the washing machinewithout opening the door during operation of the washing machine.

In the meantime, if the transparent window is provided to the door onthe washing machine, a comparatively great seating recess is requiredfor easy seating of the transparent window. However, the great seatingrecess is likely to cause difficult in positioning the transparentwindow at a right position, to cause inconvenience of mounting.Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve thisproblem.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a door on awashing machine which enables simple, low cost mounting of a transparentwindow on a door frame.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will beset forth in part in the description which follows and in part willbecome apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following or may be learned from practice of theinvention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may berealized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with thepurpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, adoor on a washing machine includes a transparent door window, and a doorframe mounted on a top cover of the washing machine, the top coverhaving a cloth opening, and the door frame having an opening, and aguide for guiding positioning of the transparent door window to coverthe opening.

Preferably, the door frame includes a seating recess in a upper surfacefor seating the transparent door window, and the guide includes aplurality of ribs at sidewalls of the seating recess.

Preferably, the plurality of ribs are formed at least on one of, four,front/rear and left/right sidewalls of the seating recess spaced fromeach other.

Preferably, the plurality of ribs include rear side ribs on the rearside sidewall of the seating recess, and the transparent door window ispress fit between the rear side ribs and the front side sidewall. Inthis instance, front side ribs may also be formed on the front sidesidewall to press fit the transparent door window between the front sideribs and the rear side ribs.

Preferably, the plurality of ribs include at least one left side ribprojected from the left side sidewall and at least one right side ribprojected from the right side sidewall to press fit the transparent doorwindow between the left side rib and the right side rib.

More preferably, the rear side ribs, left side ribs, right side ribs, anso on are formed on the seating recess, to press fit the transparentdoor window between the ribs.

In the meantime, preferably, the door frame includes an adhesive recessfor receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to thedoor frame with the adhesive. The adhesive recess prevents the adhesivefrom spreading along an adhesive surface of the transparent door windowat the time of attachment of the transparent door window to the doorframe, thereby preventing impairing good looking, or transparency.

The transparent door window may be formed of glass, or transparentresin, and any material, as far as the material enables the window toserve as a transparent window.

The ribs may be formed as one body with the door frame, or formedseparate from the door frame and attached to relevant positions of thedoor frame. In a case the ribs are formed separate from, and attached tothe door frame, the ribs may be form of a material different from thedoor frame. Particularly, in a case the transparent door window isformed of glass, it is preferable that the ribs are formed of a materiallike rubber, as the glass is susceptible to impact or deformation.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description of the present invention areexemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide furtherexplanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention andtogether with the description serve to explain the principle of theinvention. In the drawings;

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a related art washing machine;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a washing machine in a closedstate of a door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a washing machine in an openedstate a door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the door in FIG. 2 or3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a section across a line A-A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 illustrates a section across a line B-B in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a section of key parts of a door on a washing machinein accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a washing machine in a closedstate of a door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a washing machine inan opened state a door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view ofthe door in FIG. 2 or 3, FIG. 5 illustrates a section across a line A-Ain FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 illustrates a section across a line B-B in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the door on a washing machine in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a doorframe 60 having an opening 58 rotatably connected to a top cover 52having a cloth opening 51 below the opening 58, a door glass of atransparent window on the door frame 60 to cover the opening 58, and aguide 80 on the door frame for guiding positioning of the door glass.

The top cover 52 is rectangular, and has a receiving portion 53 on arear side having an opened top.

Mounted on the receiving portion 53, there are various electriccomponents, such as a water supply valve, water level sensor, and so on.

Mounted on the receiving portion 53, there is a control panel 55 inwhich a control board is mounted for controlling the washing machinefollowing operation of the control panel 55.

In an upper surface of the top cover 52, there is a door seating recess56 for seating the door 50.

On a center side of the door seating recess 56, there is a circularcloth opening 51 opened in a vertical direction.

The door seating recess 56 has a shape identical to the door 50,specifically, an outside circumference of the door frame 60, but with asize slightly greater than the door frame 60.

The door seating recess 56 has a front side 57 with a radius ofcurvature which becomes the greater as it goes toward a rear side themore in a section.

The opening 58 in the door frame 60 is formed above the cloth opening 51with a size the same or greater than the cloth opening 51.

The door frame 60 has a front/rear direction length shorter than thedoor seating recess 56 with a gap ‘t’ between a front end of the doorseating recess 56 and a front side 61 of the door frame 60, for enablinga user to put fingers therein at the time the door frame 60 is seated onthe door seating recess 56.

The door frame 60 has a front side end 61 with a thickness formedthinner than the other portion.

That is, when the door 50 is seated in the door seating recess 56, thefront side end 61 of the door frame 60 is spaced from a bottom surfaceof the door seating recess 56, such that the user can hold the door 50easily if the user puts fingers between the gap ‘t’ and under the frontside end 61 of the door frame 60.

The door frame 60 is a plastic injection molding or formed of a metal asone body, and is connected to the top cover 52 with a hinge.

A hinge bar 62 is fixed to one side and a hinge hole portion 63 forrotatable mounting of the hinge bar 62 therein is fixed to the otherside of a rear side of the door frame 60 and the receiving portion 53 ofthe top cover 52.

That is, if a front end side of the door frame 60 is lifted up, the door50 is projected upward from the washing machine tilted or perpendicularthereto, to open the cloth opening 51.

In an upper surface of the door frame 60, there is a glass seatingrecess 64 for seating the door glass 70.

The glass seating recess 64 has a circumferential shape in conformitywith a circumferential shape of the door glass 70, but slightly greaterthan the door glass 70 to leave a fine gap t2 to an outsidecircumference of the door glass 70.

The glass seating recess 64 has a thickness the same with or slightlygreater than the door glass 70 so that the door glass 70 is notprojected beyond an upper side of the door frame 60 when the door glass70 is seated.

The guide 80 includes a plurality of ribs 80 projected from sidewalls ofthe glass seating recess 64 for pressing the door glass 70 into aninside of the glass seating recess 64.

The plurality of ribs 80 are formed on at least one of four sidewalls ofthe front/rear and left/right sidewalls 64 a, 64 b, 64 c, and 64 d ofthe glass seating recess 64 spaced in left/right or up/down direction.

The plurality of ribs 80 include a plurality of rear side ribs 82projected forward from the rear side sidewall 64 a among the foursidewalls of the front/rear and left/right sidewalls 64 a, 64 b, 64 c,and 64 d of the glass seating recess 64.

A distance ‘d1’ from the plurality of rear side ribs 80 to the frontside sidewall 64 b of the glass seating recess 64 is shorter than afront/rear width ‘d2’ of the door glass 70 such that portions of therear side ribs 80 are bent or buckled by a rear end 70 a of the doorglass 70 when the door glass 70 is seated. Thus, the door glass 70 isseated on the seating recess 64 in a press fit.

That is, the door glass 70 is press fit between the front side sidewall64 b and the rear side ribs 80 as the rear side ribs 80 are bent orbuckled.

The plurality of ribs 80 include a plurality of left side ribs 84projected from a left side sidewall 64 d and a plurality of right sideribs 86 projected from a right side sidewall 64 d among the front/rearand left/right sidewalls 64 a, 64 b, 64 c, and 64 d of the glass seatingrecess 64.

A distance ‘d3’ between the plurality of the left side ribs 84 and theplurality of right side ribs 86 is formed shorter than a left/rightwidth ‘d4’ of the door glass 70 so that a portion of each of the leftside ribs 84 are bent or buckled by a left side end 70 b of the doorglass 70, and a portion of each of the right side ribs 86 is bent orbuckled by a right side end 70 c of the door glass 70 at the time ofseating the door glass 70.

That is, the door glass 70 is press fit between the left side ribs 82and the right side ribs 84 as the left side ribs 82 and the right sideribs 84 are bent or buckled.

Reference numeral 72 denotes a non-transparent sheet attached toportions of door glass 70 except portions over the cloth opening 51 andthe opening 58.

A process for assembling the door of the present invention will bedescribed.

After putting the door glass 70 over the glass seating recess 64, thedoor glass 70 is pressed down to put the door glass 70 into an inside ofthe glass seating recess 64, when the circumference of the door glass 70is guided by the plurality of ribs 82, 84, and 86, to position the doorglass 70 at a right position.

In this instance, a portion of each of the plurality of ribs 82, 84, and86 is bent or buckled, so as to press fit the door glass 70 between theplurality of ribs 82, 84, and 86.

FIG. 7 illustrates a section of key parts of a door on a washing machinein accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the door on a washing machine in accordance withanother preferred embodiment of the present invention includes aplurality of ribs 80 formed on sidewalls of the glass seating recess 64of the door frame 60 like the foregoing embodiment, and a door glass 70attached to the glass seating recess 64 of the door frame 60 to securethe door glass 70 to the door frame 60.

The glass seating recess 64 of the door frame 60 has an adhesive coatingrecess 92 for coating the adhesive ‘C’ thereon.

In the door 50 on a washing machine in accordance with another preferredembodiment of the present invention, after applying the adhesive ‘C’ tothe adhesive coating recess 92, if the door glass 70 is seated on theglass seating recess 64, the door glass 70 seats at a right position bythe plurality of ribs 80, and is attached to the door frame 70 rigidlyby the adhesive ‘C.’.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, itis intended that the present invention covers the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A door on a washing machine comprising; a transparent door window; and a door frame mounted on a top cover of the washing machine, the top cover having a cloth opening, and the door frame having an opening, and a guide for guiding positioning of the transparent door window to cover the opening.
 2. The door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the door frame includes a seating recess in a upper surface for seating the transparent door window, and the guide includes a plurality of ribs at sidewalls of the seating recess.
 3. The door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs are formed at least on one of front/rear and left/right, four, sidewalls of the seating recess spaced from each other.
 4. The door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs include at least one rear side rib projected from the rear side sidewall of the seating recess, and the transparent door window is press fit between the rear side rib and the front side sidewall.
 5. The door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs include at least one left side rib projected from the left side sidewall and at least one right side rib projected from the right side sidewall to press fit the transparent door window between the left side rib and the right side rib.
 6. The door as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of ribs further include at least one left side rib projected from the left side sidewall and a plurality of right side rib projected from the right side sidewall to press fit the transparent door window between the left side rib and the right side ribs, too.
 7. The door as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.
 8. The door as claimed in claim 3, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.
 9. The door as claimed in claim 4, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.
 10. The door as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive.
 11. The door as claimed in claim 6, wherein the seating recess of the door frame includes an adhesive recess for receiving an adhesive to attach the transparent door window to the door frame with the adhesive. 